Diezani appears in London Court ahead of bribery trial

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources and ex-President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Diezani Alison-Madueke, appeared before a London court on Monday ahead of the commencement of her full trial on bribery charges linked to her time in office.

Preliminary proceedings, including technical hearings and jury selection, began this week, with Alison-Madueke physically present in court.

The former minister, who served as Nigeria’s oil minister between 2010 and 2015, made history as the first woman to occupy the position and also the first female president of the global oil cartel, OPEC.

Now aged 65, Alison-Madueke has been on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015. She has consistently denied all six charges brought against her.

In 2023, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) formally charged her with offences relating to alleged bribery committed between 2011 and 2015.

At the time of filing the charges, the NCA said it suspected that Alison-Madueke abused her position in Nigeria and received financial rewards in exchange for awarding lucrative oil contracts worth millions of pounds.

According to court documents, the former minister allegedly benefitted from at least £100,000 in cash, chauffeur-driven vehicles, flights on private jets, and the use of several high-value properties in London.

The prosecution further alleged that she received additional benefits, including luxury furniture, property renovations, domestic staff, payment of private school fees, and expensive designer gifts from brands such as Louis Vuitton.

The trial is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 26, and is expected to last between 10 and 12 weeks.

Two other defendants are also facing bribery charges connected to the case. Doye Agama appeared in court via video link on Monday, while Olatimbo Ayinde was physically present in the dock.